The Craftsman style home was a revolution in American architectural design, and they were built all over the nation between 1905 and 1930. In the late part of the twentieth century, the Craftsman home became popular again, with architects restoring older Craftsman houses and building new replicas. Like many design elements of the Arts and Crafts period, the Craftsman home is a work of art as well as a functioning dwelling. The Craftsman home has a distinctive style which is instantly recognizable to architecture students, contractors, and aficionados of the Arts and Crafts movement.

The Craftsman home was popularized by several designers, including Gustav Stickley, Charles Sumner Greene, and Henry Mather Greene. All of these men were iconic figures in the Arts and Crafts movement, and the Craftsman home became a natural extension of the furniture and art they created. The Craftsman has its roots in the bungalow, a low slung, comfortable home which originates in India.

A Craftsman is characterized by having low, gentle sloping roofs, and being one story tall, although some Craftsmen also have attics and dormers. The house usually has wide eaves above a deep porch which has distinctive square pillars. The roof rafters are traditionally exposed, while the inside of the home has many built-in cabinets, nooks, seating, and shelving. The interior beams of the house are usually exposed and used as decorative elements as well.

Craftsman houses usually have an open floor plan inside, which facilitates the display of large art pieces as well as big gatherings. In addition, the Craftsman house plays with negative space to highlight accents of the home, while also using space very efficiently. Most Craftsman houses also incorporate Arts and Crafts style light fixtures, which are an integral part of the home design, rather than an afterthought. Some also feature stained glass windows, to provide a play of light as well as privacy.

A traditionally built Craftsman is modest, and takes advantage of the site it is located on. Usually the home is positioned to greet the sun, and is surrounded by a large garden. In addition, a Craftsman home uses local materials where possible, and sometimes even materials from the site of the home, such as timber or rock. Natural materials play a big role in the Craftsman style, with local stone lining fireplaces or local woods being used for decorative accents.

Patterns for Craftsman homes are readily available, with many publishers reprinting original designs from the turn of the twentieth century. The Craftsman home is designed to be a home for life, a solid, beautiful and simple dwelling which will serve homeowners well.